POL208 Midterm 2 Note package.doc

20
Pages

144
Views

Unlock Document

School

University of Toronto St. George

Department

Political Science

Course

POL208Y1

Professor

Lilach Gilady

Semester

Winter

Description

POL208
Midterm #2
Note Package
Asia’s Different Standard (Bilahari Kausikan)
Human rights have become a legitimate issue:
 Emerging global culture of human rights & body of international law on it.
 Post-Cold War: Western emphasis on human rights. East and Southeast Asia
are re-examining their own human rights standards: respond seriously China,
Indonesia, Burma, Tokyo, South Korea, etc.)
 Improvements over the last 20 years, moving beyond a purely defensive
attitude to a more active approach to human rights.
Critics and problems:
West:
• Promotion of human rights was used as an ideological instrumental the East
West struggle.
• An instrument of economic competition. The West tends to emphasize values
like openness and equal opportunity as economic competitiveness rises.
• Intentions: Reason of prominence of human rights: reputation/image in media
publics, NGOs, other interests groups. It is therefore difficult for Western
governments to find politically compelling arguments to ignore human rights
violations (pressure coming from the modern communication technologies)
Taking about human rights is an easy, cheap, and popular war to exercise influence
or maintain the illusion of involvement.
East:
• Intention to appease the West, self-interests and pressure.
• Movement toward greater emphasis on human rights is not even.
• It is difficult to deepen and expand the international consensus on human
rights if East and Southeast Asian countries think that the Western
promotion of human rights is based on the foundation of their own economic
success.
• Difficult to pursue the same (western) path:
Page 1 of20 POL208
Midterm #2
Note Package
 Western interpretation of human rights: diversity of cultural traditions,
political structure, and levels of development do not necessarily suit the
Eastern system.
 Lecture notes: Everyone has different approaches to human rights (1 , st
2 ,3 generation rights  the West, the communist bloc and the less
developed countries)
 Unlike the West, some Asian countries such as Japan cannot escape the
consequences if pressing human rights or forcing the pace of political
change in its Asian neighbors leads to instability. (Distance makes it
easier to be virtuous; proximity makes for prudence)
Promotion by all countries will always be selective, even cynical  Policy
motivations are rarely simple.
Post-Cold War: human rights will be influenced by the power structure and dynamic
of a more regionalized world trade and security will be prioritize in the
international agenda. However, it is becoming more and more important.
It is impossible to settle international laws on human rights once and forever: all
international norms must evolve through continuing debate among different points
of view. The implementation those laws will always be political and reflects the
changing global power structures and political circumstances. (Lecture notes:
Impossible to have a human rights policy because it distorts national interests and
is too broad, ineffective, and expensive.)
Doubts and suggestions:
• Take consideration of the realities, values, cultures, and interests of the state
which they try to help.
• Insist on humane standards of behavior by vigorously protesting genocide,
murder, torture, and slavery.  A legitimate right and moral duty to promote
those core human rights: Help East to improve their existing system rather
than encouraging “wild dreams” of self-determination.
o Example : Protest against disappearance of East Timorese in Jakarta,
object to the torture or murder of Tibetans.
The responsibility is mainly on the West but we don’t know if the West is prepared
to intervene and remain engaged, for decades, to restore order.
Page 2 of20 POL208
Midterm #2
Note Package
Summary – Asia’s Unacceptable Standard (1)
Sophie Wen
(The article begins addressing Kausikan’s points and along came Neier’s
argument of them. After this was a more political focus I think.)
Kausikan’s point #1: Characteristics of the West and the East.
The West -“individualistic” or “adversarial”. The East - “communitarian” or
“consensus seeking”
Neier’s argument:
The West and the East both have its own way of “individualistic” and
“communitarian”.
EX. Hong Kong falls into the “individualistic” West category with their
economic achievements.
There are also communitarian characteristics in the West, John Locke and
Jefferson believed that the essential purpose and the function of a good
government was the exercise of human rights. This would lead to a civilized
society.
Relating to the lecture as there was one slide saying the 3 different worlds.
Each world has their own view of what are human rights. No one view was
absolute and the ultimate definition of human rights.
Neier argues that “consensus imposing” fits better than the term “consensus
seeking”. “Consensus seeking” implies the freedom of speech and the
freedom of media.
Kausikan’s argument #2: “the authoritarian systems of Asia have produced
stability and prosperity for their people…”
Neier’s argument:
The authors sees human rights play a stronger part economically rather than
stability and prosperity.
He argues that open societies in the world today are the leading economies
rather than the closed ones. But he also suggests that denial of political
freedom would mean economic failure.
EX. Japan press’ criticism would not be tolerated in other ones such as China,
Singapore etc. Hong Kong is not a democracy but has better media freedom
than Singapore and a uprising economy.
Page 3of 20 POL208
Midterm #2
Note Package
Kausikan’s argument #3: “Asia would resist Western efforts to promote
human rights, particularly if they are seen to threaten the foundations of
Asian economic success.”
Neier’ argument: The West’s wealth came before (along?) the growing
awareness of human rights. Examples were the Great Britain and the United
States. During when they acquired wealth, there were also the growing
aspects of human rights.
Neier argued that the economic success that some in the East has achieved
today came at a great cost.
Example was Mao Tse-tung’s “Great Leap Forward”, it has caused famine,
and freedom of speech was violated therefore making the situation worse.
After these arguments, Neier start to talk what Kausikan has said about the
Reagan-Bush administration and the connection between ‘freedom’ and
‘democracy’. To promote democracy would mean violation of ‘freedom’ they
were mere political tools.
Relating class material:
Morgenthau idea – the autonomy of the political sphere
Human rights are moral aspects; they cannot be mixed with political which
represents national interests. The mixture of the two would distort national
interest. Human rights movement should not be in line with the promotion of
democracy, which is a political aspect.
Neier discusses Kausikan’s point about the West promoting independence for
territories such as East Timor or Tibet. Basically Neier is saying that the West
isn’t promoting this. But rather territories such as East Timor or Tibet are
trying to invoke human rights to promote their own independence.
Relating to the class material about the discussion of the 3 worlds again. This
is a perfect example of the 3 world where their aspect of the human rights
are more about who should rule them, right as a group to preserve their
culture and language. Which flag they would use. – Self-determination.
Kausikan, as a matter about detention without trail and press freedom, he
suggests that they should not be on the international human rights agenda.
Neier, or the movement says yes and they are universal rights.
Asia’s Unacceptable Standard Summary (2)
Emma Murray
This reading is a criticism of Kausikan’s analysis
Page 4 of20 POL208
Midterm #2
Note Package
General Points:
• The mean reasons to promote human rights are b/c they are intrinsic
values. He says that the right of all persons to be free from cruel and
arbitrary punishment; to express themselves freely and equality are
fundamental rights because they define us as human beings
•
Kausikan’s Points Aryeh Neier’s Points
West is individualistic and east is Each region had individualistic and
communitarian or consensus communitarian
seeking • Hong Kong entrepreneurs are as
individualistic as western
counterparts
• Some westerners (John Locke)
believed that civil society was
needed for individual rights - meant
for the establishment of good
government
• They are see as individual b/c they
believe rulers authority was
conditional not absolute + didn’t
give up all rights entering civil
society
Uses the term consensus seeking Consensus imposing is more fitting b/c
(implies people can express views Kausikan’s doesn’t support press freedoms
and be heard) which are outlined as essential to the
process
Makes a case to delay human Human rights are instrumental in
rights pending prosperity economic success
• Open societies are doing better
economically than closed societies
• There are exceptions that show that
political freedom by itself isn’t a
guarantee of prosperity and vice
versa
Western Wealth that “allows the His point carries the implication that
operation of political institutions western wealth came before human rights;
that in less-favorable they rose together
circumstances could lead to
disaster”
The pursuit of civil and political There are other factors to stopping growth
rights are not compatible with and stability
stability and economic growth • During the Great Leap Forward
many people didn’t report the
famine because in the previous
period those who did faced
Page 5 of 20 POL208
Midterm #2
Note Package
persecution
• Human rights watched reached the
conclusion that right are not
luxuries to be enjoyed only after
certain economic development had
been reached
Says the NGO’s and human rights Generally members of “the movement”
activists push discussions beyond don’t want to associated with democracy
their legitimacy to abstract promotion
concepts that disregard culture • Reject approaches that politicize
and political circumstance – human rights
Associates it was promoting • There is a problem with the
democracy
classification of what a democracy is
or is not for Regan and Bush
administrations; they said that if
democracy existed, human rights
would follow – “the movement”
criticized this
• With the Tibet issue, the movement
or certain parts of it have refrained
from taking sides
• They won’t take a stand on self-
determination reflects the
recognition that cultural and
historical circumstances determine
such questions not just international
convents
Says detention without trail and Say the opposite: the circumstances must
freedom of the press shouldn’t be be dire for the ends to be worth of those
on international human rights means
agenda – not part of core rights • Point out that those two things have
and sometimes the ends may be been put into regional human rights
worthy of the means agreements one of which Asia
Governments are wise in denying (which has not identified itself as a
those rights at times region) does not have
• The test of weather a right is
universal is weather states
universally assert an obligation to
respect it
• Governments often used these
methods to silence critics
Page 6 of 20 POL208
Midterm #2
Note Package
March 18: Rethinking the state- Reshaping Security
Should Human Security Be the Core Value of Canadian
Foreign Policy? (1)
By: William Zhang
4 realist assumptions of traditional, national security approach:
-existence of an anarchical international system which prompts individual states to pursue their
own self-interest
-foreign attack is a constant and overriding threat to state security - states must therefore exercise
eternal vigilance and make appropriate pre-emptory preparations
-national security hinges on the effective management of military force and the balance of power
-national security takes precedence over the individual security of members of the state
Respect for sovereignty and non-intervention are thus two central tenets of a national security
approach
Changes to the international system following the conclusion of the Cold War have led to
growing skepticism towards the relevancy of national security conceptualizations, and a call for
redirection of state foreign policy towards the promotion of "human security"
The human security approach emphasizes the maintenance of a basic minimum standard of
human treatment for all individuals as an objective that supersedes state interests and national
security.
As a result, intervention and infringements of state sovereignty are acceptable and even
necessary in circumstances where governments are found to be in violation of the human rights
of their citizens
Page 7 of 20 POL208
Midterm #2
Note Package
Human security focuses not only on direct forms of violence, but also the existence of structural
violence (unnecessary impediments to individual rights and standard of living, such as
racial/ethnic stratification or inadequate healthcare infrastructure)
Focuses on seven distinct dimensions of security: economic, food, health, environmental,
personal, community, and political
Tied to the promotion of democratic development (link to democratic peace theory?)
Draws attention to the human costs of violent conflict, leading to initiatives such as a ban on
landmines and the creation of the International Criminal Court (human security can thus be tied
into just war theory, specifically the concepts of proportionality in war and enforcement of post-
war justice)
Pros of the adoption of a human security approach:
allows for states to move away from unilateral foreign policy positions, encourages more
integrated cooperation which will be necessary in facing increasingly transnational and global
issues such as global warming, human trafficking, outbreak of global pandemics, etc.
Moral argument: idealistic obligation, as democratic governments, to ensure all human beings
enjoy a bare minimum of rights
does not necessarily supplant national security - the state remains the most effective mechanism
for the implementation of human security objectives, and improvements to human security
increase the legitimacy, stability, and security of states
-In coordination with the premises of democratic peace theory - the institutionalization of human
rights and democratic values as global norms would reduce the likelihood of interstate conflict
Cons:
Current realizations of human security are couched in vague, unspecific language; thus, a foreign
policy with it as a foundation would be too broad, ineffective, too expensive
-Human rights, by definition, are highly culturally relative - attempts to legislate human rights
policies of other countries can lead to cultural imperialism - raising problematic moral
implications
-Objectives of human security often clash with objectives of national security, leading to states
being placed in precarious positions. Situations where states must abandon human policy
initiatives for the sake of its self-preservation lead to an unnecessary increase of domestic
cynicism and discontent
-Erosion of state sovereignty and the principle of non-intervention sets a dangerous precedent
Page 8 of 20 POL208
Midterm #2
Note Package
-Legislation of human security sets defined protocols for often-circumstantial and unpredictable
scenarios - thus limiting the flexibility and innovation of solutions
-lack of uniform intervention in human rights issues leads to claims of hypocrisy
Implications for IR:
-Adoption of human security approach, and consequently the promotion of foreign intervention
and necessary impediments to state sovereignty, constitutes a departure from a Westphalian
conception of the international system
-national security is based in realist dogma (Morgenthau - separation of political and moral
spheres), while human security advocates derive from liberal and constructivist ideologies
(importance of institutions, universal norms, human rights in IR as a post-Cold War development
resulting from structural and social changes)
-Human security approach is only legitimate if states approach intervention with objectivity and
uniformity - in instances where states pick and choose which situations to intervene in, claims of
intervention for the sake of promoting human rights can be no more than a cosmetic
embellishment of a realist, state-centric agenda
-The current framework of international law is not suited to the promotion of individual human
rights - as states are considered the primarily legal entity - a shift towards human security in state
foreign policy would thus also require a reconstitution of the premises of international law in
order to be truly effective
-A human security approach to foreign policy allows for intervention in certain cases based on
the guidelines of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) - which redefines state sovereignty as a
responsibility towards ones citizens rather than a right to indiscriminate action
-R2P has three dimensions = responsibility to prevent, responsibility to react, responsibility to
rebuild
March 18: Should Human Security be the Core Value of Canadian Foreign
Policy? (Mark Charlton) (2)
During the 20 th century, the paradigm adopted by policy makers was that of the
realist agenda (states are in constant danger of foreign attack in a a world of
anarchy.) Recently, there has been a shift towards human security (the well-being
of individuals) rather than national security (protection of state)
Yes (Lloyd Axworthy) No (William W. Bain)
• According to standards of UN, human • ‘Human security’ is too abstract and
security includes economic, political, broad
Page 9 of 20 POL208
Midterm #2
Note Package
environmental, nutritional, personal, • Canada’s foreign policy: i) Promote
as well as community prosperity and employment, ii)
• Civilians face dangers of conflict such Protect Canadian values and culture
as civil war, drug trafficking, abroad, iii) Protect security within a
terrorism, disease, and genocide